9 major institutions create healthier environment for physicians: Best Practices

About half of physicians report at least one symptom of burnout, which is nearly twice the rate of other American workers. As burnout continues to receive growing attention, more health care organizations and institutions are searching for solutions to improve physician well-being. This year, nine institutions stood out for their commitment to preventing and alleviating physician burnout.

Committed to making physician burnout a thing of the past, the AMA has studied, and is currently addressing, issues causing and fueling physician burnout—including time constraints, technology and regulations—to better understand the challenges physicians face.

Best Practices

• Group meetings - Mayo Clinic found that giving physicians a way to gather in small groups for semistructured, private discussions in restaurants, coffee shops or reserved rooms results in measurably lower burnout and social isolation, and higher well-being and job satisfaction.
• Banking overtime - Inspired by the idea of faculty trading favors with colleagues to meet the time demands of work and home, time banking for doctors began as a two-year study at Stanford University School of Medicine to help improve physicians’ lives to minimize burnout-induced departures. 
• Team-based care model - Since implementation in 2014, Bellin Health has seen a significant reduction in burnout across all staff, as well as improvement in patient satisfaction and quality of care. 
• System changes - Leaders at Carilion Clinic—after finding that nearly three in five physicians reported burnout—have pursued seven innovative ideas and initiatives to address burnout. These range from a central well-being committee to put the issue at the top of the agenda to support for interdepartmental exchange of effective ideas to improve well-being.
• Ease click fatigue - To improve physician well-being and prevent burnout, Yale School of Medicine searched for ways to reduce clicks and increase time spent with patients.
• Create a culture of caring and meaning in work - Henry Ford hospital implemented several burnout prevention strategies focused on establishing a culture of caring and creating meaning in work. These include “monthly wellness rounds” educational sessions on topics related to physician well-being.
• Prioritizing physician well-being - Leaders at University of Utah Health (UUH) initiated a multifaceted assessment to help guide their efforts in addressing burnout. Part of the response came in the form of a chief wellness officer and a faculty co-director of the UUH Resiliency Center meeting individually with leadership from each department within the medical school to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Address barriers to team-based care - This care model can drive increases in physician well-being, but obstacles to team-based care had to first be overcome at Cleveland Clinic. These include patient reluctance, physician apprehension and financial concerns. 
• Stress-reducing events - Through monthly wellness events and weekly emails, residents and clinical fellows at Johns Hopkins participate in a variety of activities aimed at improving well-being across the campus.

The full AMA article (with links to detailed information about each of these best practices) can be viewed here.